We are driving down the old country road to town for what feels like hours. Yet it feels like seconds since I saw the bombs drop. I look at the clock on the dash, 3:41AM. We have been in the car for no more than 15 minutes. It feels like an eternity.
I packed in a blur. I can't even all that I packed. I know I got a few things I needed and couldn't live without but I honestly have no idea what else I packed.
It feels like time is moving in fast forward and in slow motion all at once. Maybe it's because it's all happening in the middle of the night. In the cover of darkness. Maybe it's because I can already feel the cosmic shift that is happening.
We come to the end of the road. If you turn left you head down another country road through a collection of small towns. If you turn right you head into the city.
Dad turns right.
"Dad where are you going? The bombs were everywhere. The whole city was on fire. Even before the bombs dropped. Seattle is gone."
"We are getting on the freeway. It is faster and much safer than these county roads at night."
We drive for a few minutes then we come up over the last hill before the city. There are brake lights for miles. Everyone had the same idea we did. People are getting out of their cars. Walking closer to the city. I can see it on fire in the distance. The few skyscrapers that are still standing are burning, standing at half the hight they used to have. They flatted the city to try and stop this. Whatever this is we need to run.
Is that gunfire in the distance? The pops almost sound like firecrackers.
Dad begins to turn around. More cars are pulling into line behind us. We are almost boxed in. Dad makes it out and we head back the other way. It looks like it's better to take the long way around.
I look out the rear window as we drive away. I look up to the sky to see the smoke towering above the city. Flames are everywhere. Some of the lights are back on in the shorter buildings but not many. They are flickering. It's eerie. Like walking the Titanic go down.
I watch, as the city, I love burns to the ground. The only thing still standing is the Needle. It stands out against the flames. Its lights are out but the flames haven't reached the top yet. As we drive farther away I see them whip up around it. The bottom must have been burning for awhile. Just before we drive over the hill I see the Needle come crumbling down. Something tells me whatever this is we won't be rebuilding. I can feel it deep down that I will never see my Seattle again.
I always loved where we lived. You could see the city from the second floor of our house but we still lived in the county. On this road, in particular, the leaf canopy is so thick light can barely get through. Even on nights with a full moon the road and the surrounding woods are almost pitch black.
It seems like we have been driving for hours. Time seems to move differently when you are in the darkness. 4:14. We have only been on the road for 25 minutes.
All we can see is what is in the line of our headlights and taillights. Everything else is darkness. Maybe that's why he seemed to come out of nowhere.
Dad tried to miss him. He was in the middle of the road. Dad swerved but we couldn't miss him. The impact sent our SUV into a tailspin. The front of the car hit a tree just off the side of the road and all of the windows shattered.
I was knocked over onto the seat. I sit up and see Dad laying over the steering wheel. Mom is leaning against the door.
"Dad! Dad!"
"Mom!"
"I'm here sweetheart!"
"Toby honey!"
"Dad!"
"I... I'm... I'm ok."
He sounds groggy but ok.
I look out the driver's side window into the darkness and my eyes have started adjusting to the blackness. The man we hit is moving. He is getting up.
I feel around in my backpack and grab a flashlight I don't remember packing. I point over it at him. His skin is so pale. It almost looks grey. His eyes are bloodshot. There is dried blood around his mouth and on his hands. Down the front of his shirt too.
He notices the light and starts screaming. He runs toward the light. I shut it off as fast as I can. He stops in his tracks. It's like nothing I've ever seen. I tap my dad on the shoulder and whisper
"Dad I don't think he is human."
There is just something about the way he moves. The sound he made when he screamed.
Dad climbs into the backseat and reaches into the back. After a few moments, he pulls out a tire iron and gets out of the passenger's side. He walks around the back of the car.
He hits the thing in the chest and it doesn't flinch. Instead, it screams and tries to attack. Mom jumps out of the car to help dad.
"Hey"
The creature turns his attention to her, screams and runs at her. It tackles her before dad can get to them. As soon as he gets to them he pushes the sharp end of the tire iron through the creature's head and it goes limp. His mouth goes slack and dad is able to pull him off of mom.
The screams of the creature ring all around us even though it's returned to silence around us. Its screech was chilling. I don't think I'll ever get the sound out of my ears.
I jump out of the car and run over to them.
"Mom are you ok?"
I run over to her as dad helps her stand up. She is holding her arm.
"I'm fine. He just bit me. It's not too deep. And he didn't get any muscle. It's just the teeth imprint. I'll be fine."